Socialism is a dirty word

I have been amused lately by the throwing around of the term socialist as a dirty word in US politics. I understand where the fears of socialism and government control come from, but my perspective is a unique one. I am an American, but I live in a socialist country. So I am in the funny position of seeing how both sides work. My Swedish friends ask about health care in America and are concerned about how hard it must have been for me to get quality care there. And in the US, my friends ask about how bad socialized medicine is, somehow feeling that the care I receive will be sub par and perhaps too little too late.  There is a lot of misinformation about both options. The truth, as with so many things, lies somewhere in between. In the US, I had good quality health care at very little cost because I had an employer who provided me with good medical benefits. When my orthopedic doctor recommended that I have knee surgery, I had it within a week. My Swedish friends are astonished by this story as they often have to wait months for a doctor recommended surgery. But then I have to acknowledge to the Swedes that there are way too many people in the US without access to health care. Everyone is taken care of here. Which is why I’ve been amused about hearing how horrible socialism is.

Tagged as: health care in Sweden, health care in the US, Socialism, socialized health care, Swedish/American cultural divide, US Politics, writing about Sweden